And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.
After deciding to put Him to death and condemning Him, the chief priests and elders bound Jesus and handed Him over to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, for trial and to confirm and execute their sentence. He had committed no crime and no charge against Him had been proved, yet He was delivered to a shameful death, and Judas himself acknowledged that he had betrayed innocent blood. He was bound with the hands of a condemned criminal and went like a sheep to the slaughter, a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men.
His delivery to Pilate begins the humiliation described in the chapter, and Pilate had a duty to do justice but failed to do it. The verse belongs to the account of the professedly pious Jews, who would not enter Pilate's judgment hall for fear ceremonial defilement would keep them from the Passover feast, though their murderous hatred had already defiled their hearts. The religious leaders' actions, together with the people's rejection of Jesus, made them responsible for His death.
Jesus stood bound as a prisoner before Pilate, whose first impression of Him was of goodness, nobility, calm, and dignity rather than guilt or defiance. His condemnation and the crowd's rejection of Him severely tested His disciples and shook their hopes and worldly ambitions, but He knew this trial was coming and had prepared and strengthened His faithful followers for it. His being delivered to Caiaphas and Pilate is a pattern for the renewed oppression of His followers, when after the emperor revoked liberty of conscience the same hostile religious and civil powers were seen acting against His cause.
After deciding to put Him to death and condemning Him, the chief priests and elders bound Jesus and handed Him over to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, for trial and to confirm and execute their sentence. He had committed no crime and no charge against Him had been proved, yet He was delivered to a shameful death, and Judas himself acknowledged that he had betrayed innocent blood. He was bound with the hands of a condemned criminal and went like a sheep to the slaughter, a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men.
His delivery to Pilate begins the humiliation described in the chapter, and Pilate had a duty to do justice but failed to do it. The verse belongs to the account of the professedly pious Jews, who would not enter Pilate's judgment hall for fear ceremonial defilement would keep them from the Passover feast, though their murderous hatred had already defiled their hearts. The religious leaders' actions, together with the people's rejection of Jesus, made them responsible for His death.
Jesus stood bound as a prisoner before Pilate, whose first impression of Him was of goodness, nobility, calm, and dignity rather than guilt or defiance. His condemnation and the crowd's rejection of Him severely tested His disciples and shook their hopes and worldly ambitions, but He knew this trial was coming and had prepared and strengthened His faithful followers for it. His being delivered to Caiaphas and Pilate is a pattern for the renewed oppression of His followers, when after the emperor revoked liberty of conscience the same hostile religious and civil powers were seen acting against His cause.